Portland Holds On for 7-6 Win in Hartford 

Hartford, Connecticut – Ceddanne Rafaela reached base five times, going 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, as the Portland Sea Dogs (17-8, 47-47) locked down a 7-6 win over the Hartford Yard Goats (14-10, 57-36) on Friday at Dunkin’ Donuts Park.

In his third Major League rehab appearance, Matt Barnes earned the win for Portland tossing 1.0 inning allowing one run on one hit while walking one.

Two runs came around to score in the top of the first frame for the Sea Dogs. With one out, Rafaela hit a solo homer to give Portland a 1-0 lead. Stephen Scott was next up, and made it back-to-back homers, increasing the Sea Dogs advantage to 2-0.

Hartford responded with a run in the bottom of the first. Hunter Stovall collected a one-out single and Grant Lavigne walked. Michael Toglia grounded into a force out, putting runners at the corners. Toglia stole second, and a wild pitch from Portland starter Dylan Spacke brought in Stovall, cutting into the Sea Dogs lead 2-1.

Portland kept pouring on the runs, plating three more in the top of the second inning. Tyler Dearden led off with a double and Wil Dalton brought him home on a double of his own, adding to the Sea Dogs lead, 3-1. Ricardo Cubillan kept the inning alive with a walk and David Hamilton grounded into a force out, placing runners at the corners. Rafaela came through with a single to center, and Scott added a run with a sacrifice fly, lengthening their lead to 5-1.

The Yard Goats entered the scoring column again in the bottom of the fourth. Kyle Datres doubled with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Sea Dogs reliever Matt Barnes. Willie McIver walked, and Isaac Collins hit into an RBI groundout, scoring Datres to make it a 5-2 game.

The momentum rolled into the bottom of the fifth inning, where Hartford drove in two more runs. Stovall led off the inning with a base hit and Lavigne doubled, moving both runners into scoring position. One out later, Aaron Schunk reached on an infield single, bringing in Stovall and the Yard Goats trailed 5-3. Brenton Doyle brought them one run closer with a second-straight RBI base hit, making it a one-run deficit for Hartford, 5-4.

The Sea Dogs scored their first runs since the second inning in the top of the sixth. Dearden led off with a walk and Dalton lined a two-run shot over the wall in left. It was Dalton’s sixth long ball of the year and gave the Sea Dogs a 7-4 advantage.

Once again, the Yard Goats brought the score closer in the bottom of the seventh. Lavigne and Toglia led off the inning with base hits. Schunk grounded a single into right, bringing in Lavigne and the score was 7-5. Datres collected his second RBI single later in the inning, bringing the Yard Goats within a run, 7-6. Oddanier Mosqueda and Joan Martinez combined for a scoreless final 2.0 innings, securing a 7-6 win for the Sea Dogs.

Barnes (2-0, 3.00 ERA) picked up the win, pitching 1.0 innings, allowing one hit on one run while walking one. Michael Baird (3-2, 3.90 ERA) was given the loss, working through 5.1 innings, surrendering seven runs on eight hits, walking four, and striking out five.

The Sea Dogs and Yard Goats play the penultimate game of the series on Saturday with a 6:05 PM first pitch at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. Portland sends RHP Brian Van Belle (4-2, 4.14 ERA) to the mound against Hartford RHP Noah Davis (6-6, 6.75 ERA).